I *so* understand your quandary. What I am not absolutely clear on is what you're already taking.

About melatonin. Most of the available melatonin supps are in huge doses, well above the amount that your own body would normally produce in a single day. I don't know why that is, that the standard dose is so high. Maybe some people don't absorb it well, or don't get much crossing into their brains, once it is in the blood. But telling a person with serious insomnia that there might be a consequence of getting some sleep borders on the absurd.

Another thing about melatonin is that if you take too much, nothing happens. Unfortunately, you have to experiment to find the proper dose for your own system.

Most melatonin comes in 3 mg doses. I need about 1/4 of a tablet. More or less. Taken about 90 minutes before you intend to hit the pillow, it will most resemble the normal sleep induction cycle. Although I find that small dose is perfect, I have corresponded with people who need 6-9 mg. More is not better, though, because if you completely saturate the melatonin receptors, they shut off, and nothing happens. So you have to find the dose with the peak effect for your body. I wish there was a foolproof way to use it.

We just had a thread about valerian, within the last couple of weeks. It does not interact with any common psych med. Valerian works best, though, after you've been on it for a couple of weeks (according to my lit search). It could work the first night. It might be all you need.

OTC sleep aids may cause rebound effects, but again, you need primary help. Screw rebound issues.

Diphenhydramine. AKA Benedryl. Available dirt cheap at Walmart, as a generic. The first time I took it, when the sleepiness hit, I was afraid I wouldn't make it 30 feet to my bed. Whammo! Tolerance often develops quickly, but that is irrelevant to someone sleep deprived like yourself. First things first.

You could take melatonin and diphenhydramine safely together. Talk to me, more, after you get some sleep.

Your doctor is an ***. He would give you an antipsychotic in hopes of hitting you with a side effect. And he trivializes the other side effects of those powerful meds, yet he criticizes simple treatments for insomnia because of side effects? What's wrong with this picture?

I urge you to find another doctor. Any doctor. Temazepam (Restoril), or Doxepin, or trimipramine (Surmontil), all have excellent hypnotic activity. You are not getting proper support and treatment from this doctor.

Lar